A locking buckle of a known type includes a male part with flexible portions, or “prongs,” for being inserted into a female part to form a locking engagement. While the locking engagement is desirable, it is not necessarily secure in the typical arrangement, since it relies in part upon the flexibility of the materials used in order to work. Consequently, over time and perhaps as a result of laxity, the buckle could be inadvertently released, such as through mere jostling. Such buckles are sometimes used in situations where the separation of the parts could have significant consequences, and the inadvertent release is thus undesirable.
Past locking buckles suffer from several limitations. Some proposals use a removable key to perform the locking function, but loss of the key is always a concern, and would render the buckle inoperative. Others include parts for performing the locking function that are difficult to manipulate, requiring fine motor skills to operate, and typically provide no surface for receiving a logo, indicia, or the like. There is also no provision for automatically unlocking the buckle if the locking member or like member is initially in a locked condition prior to insertion of the male part, which may create problems in achieving the connection in an expedient manner.
Accordingly, a need is identified for a solution that may address any or all of the foregoing limitations, and perhaps others that have yet-to-be discovered. The locking buckle would be easy to assemble and manipulate, and would thus provide a secure, yet fully releasable, locking function.